Background Briefing

A needle in a strawberry stack

Within a week, there were reports of more than 100 incidents around Australia as well as an isolated case across the ditch in New Zealand.

Strawberries were recalled from supermarket shelves and many farmers were forced to throw away their crop.

The Federal Government responded by seeking advice on increasing the maximum penalty for food contamination to 15 years in jail — a punishment normally reserved for people convicted of child pornography and terrorism charges.

But we're still no closer to knowing who did this and why. A police investigation has so far produced no breakthroughs.

The ABC's Background Briefing program has examined the possible culprits behind the food safety scare, including the leads being pursued by officers.

The act of a disgruntled worker?

Fruit picking is gruelling work and Australia's horticulture industry relies on cheap labour.

Strawberry farmers typically employ backpackers on a seasonal basis. They help with the harvest in order to extend their visas.

But foreign workers, particularly those with limited English, also make easy targets. Allegations of exploitation and underpayment are rife.

The Fair Work Ombudsman has been running an inquiry into the issue for five years. In a landmark case, investigators successfully prosecuted Hour "George" Him, a Queensland farmer who now produces strawberries under the brand name Oasis.

In 2003, Cufari was named in a National Crime Authority report on Italian organised crime. Specifically, he was described as an associate of a Calabrian mafia man who lives in Adelaide.

Ten years ago, his son Joe is said to have arrived in Wamuran to learn the strawberry business.

Donnybrook slowly became the region's largest producer of the fruit and it continues to expand.

Property records show the Cufaris purchased two farms in nearby Elimbah in 2016. They also bought three houses in Caboolture the same week their strawberries were recalled.

Pasquale Cufari declined to speak to Background Briefing.

In an interview with ABC Radio in Brisbane, Queensland's Police Commissioner Ian Stewart confirmed police were investigating whether there is any link between this history and their farm being targeted.

"We don't rule that out and we can never rule that out," he said.

"We are looking at all angles in this investigation."

But experts say strawberries could have been contaminated with needles at any stage of the food supply chain, whether on the farm or at the supermarkets.